Automatic temperature equalizer



April 23, 1953 J. D. STOKES AUTOMATIC TEMPERATURE EQUALIZER FOR HEATINGSYSTEMS Filed March 24, 1950 Jasper 0. Stokes JNVENTOR.

BY Wyn 4y M Patented Apr. 28, 1953 ,..UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEAUTOMATIC TEMPERATURE EQUA IZEJR FOR HEATING sys EMs Jasper D. Stokes,Soguel Application March 24, 1950, Serial o. .fl. 5 l i,32

a .Qla'jnas. (01. 236-12) The present invention relates :to new and=user1 11 improiie'ments in temperature equalizers tor hot water heat ngzsizstems, and more particularly to an automatic valve for re ulatingthe volume. of water supplied to d iierent partsof the system inaccordance with the demands placed on the system, whereby thetemperature of the water passing through the different parts of thesystem will be equalized.

An important object of the present invention is to provide athermostatic valve connected in the return line from two different partsofhot water heating systems to automatically control the flow of waterthrough each part of the system to vary the ratio of flow in accordancewith the demands placed on each part of the system.

A further object is to provide a regulating valve of this character ofsimple and practical construction, which is efiicient and reliable inoperation, relatively inexpensive to manufacture and install inoperative position in the system, and which is otherwise well adaptedfor the purposes for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein likenumerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective View showing the regulating valve connectingthe return pipes of two branch lines of a hot water heating system to acirculator;

Figure 2 is an enlarged plan view of the thermostatic control valve withthe cover plate removed; 7

Figure Sis a longitudinal sectional view taken on a line 3-3 of Figure2; and

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on a line 4- of Figure 2.

Referring now to the drawing in detail wherein, for the purpose ofillustration, I have disclosed a preferred embodiment of the invention,

the numeral 5 designates the valve body ofsubstantially Y-shape toprovide a pair of branch inlet ports 6 and 1 and an outlet port 8. Thein-- let ports 6 and I lead to chambers 9 and ill separated from eachother by a partition H.

The end of the valve body 5 adjacent the outlet M is formed with acurved valve seat I?! having its axis at a pivot pin i 3 supported atthe adjacent end of partition H. 2

Valve seat [2 is formed with a central opening M of substantially squareshape with a pair of its opposite corners i5 positioned adjacent eachside edge of the valve seat whereby the opening it tapers toward eachside edge of the waive seat and valve *body, as shown 1*igured of thedrawings.

The end of the partition H in which the pivot pm $3 is positionedb-iiurcated, as shown .at it, to receive a substantially triangularshaped plate l? at the rear end of a valve it with one corner of plateil pivoted on pin It for swinging the head is at the front end of thevalve from side to side across opening it of the valve seat i2. Thevalve i 3 is of rectangular shape in crosssection and is of a widthcoextensive with partition i to work closely against the fiat sides ofvalve body E3 to separate the chambers 9 and it! from each other betweenthe end of partition H and the valve seat I2.

Thermostats 2i) and 2i of a bimetallic strip formed into a coil areanchored at their inner ends in the chambers s and Hi and with theirouter end portions engaging the outer ends of coil springs 22 and 23mounted on rods 24 and 25 which have their inner ends pivoted toadiacent corners of the triangular plate I! and with the tension of thesprings opposed to each other.

The inlet ports ii and l of valve body 5 are connected to the returnlines 26 and 21 of branch hot water heating systems having one or moreradiators 28 connected therein by pipes 29 and 3K! to permit the cuttingoff of the radiator without interrupting the flow of water through thesystem. The outlet port 8 of the valve body 5 is connected to the returnside of a water circulator by means of a pipe 33.

Should one or more of the radiators 28 of one of the branch systems becut off, the demand on that system is reduced and the ratio of hot watersupplied to the two systems is disturbed. The resulting difference intemperature or" thewater entering ports 6 and i, accordingly, affectsthermostats 2i! and 2| to swing valve it toward one side to regulate thevolume of water for each branch system according to the demand on each.

In view of the foregoing description taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, it is believed that a clear understanding of thedevice will be quite apparent to those skilled in this art. A moredetailed description is accordingly deemed unnecessary.

It is to be understood, however, that even though. there is herein shownand described a pre' ferred embodiment of the invention, the same issusceptible to certain changes fully comprehended by the spirit of theinvention as herein described and Within the scope of the appendedclaims.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A hot water system having return branch lines, a temperatureregulator for said branch lines comprising a valve body having aplurality of inlet ports and a sin le outlet port, said inlet portsbeing connected to the branch return lines or" the system, a partitionin the valve body forming a pair of chambers immediately inwardly of theinlet ports, a valve seat in the valve body immediately inwardly of theoutlet port, a valve pivotally connected to the partition for swingingin opposite directions across the valve seat for proportioning the flowfrom the chambers to the outlet port, and thermostatic means in thechambers and connected to the valve for swinging JASPER D. STOKES.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 1,000,435 Pagelsen Aug. 15, 1911 2,224,929 Rose et a1. Dec.17, 1940 2,277,314 Gallagher Mar. 24, 1942 2,383,215 Reynolds Aug. 21,1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date France Nov. 24, 1931

